Young Dreamers
by TragicWriter01
Summary: They needed an answer. But, they didn't realize that it was closer than they thought.
1. Interest and Curiosity

As the fireworks festival was underway, nine members stood on the stage, preparing for their first song as people gathered in the audience. Then, the song began.

 _Itsumo soba ni ite mo_

 _Tsutaekirenai omoide_

 _Kokoro_

 _Maigo ni naru_

 _Namida_

 _Wasurete shimaou_

 _Utatte miyou_

 _Issho ni ne_

 _Kotoba dake ja tarinai_

 _Sou kotoba sura tarinai_

 _Yue ni_

 _Surechigatte_

 _Hanarete_

 _Shimatta koto ga_

 _Kanashikatta no_

 _Zutto_

 _Ki ni natteta_

 _Wakatte hoshii to negau_

 _Kimochi ga tomaranakute_

 _Kitto_

 _Kizutsuketa ne_

 _Soredemo_

 _Akiramekirenai_

 _Jibun no wagamama_

 _Ima wa_

 _Kakusanai kara_

 _Chikara o awasete_

 _Yume no umi o_

 _Oyoide yukou yo_

 _Kyou no umi o...!_

 _Donna mirai ka wa_

 _Daremo mada shiranai_

 _Demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo_

 _Minna to nara_

 _Norikoerareru_

 _Kore kara nanda ne_

 _Otagai_

 _Ganbarou yo_

 _Donna mirai ka wa_

 _Daremo mada shiranai_

 _Demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni_

 _Minna to nara_

 _Murishitaku naru_

 _Seichou shitai na_

 _Mada mada_

 _Mijuku DREAMER_

 _Yatto hitotsu ni nare sou na bokutachi dakara_

 _Honne butsukeau toko kara hajimeyou_

 _Sono toki mieru hikari ga aru hazu sa_

 _Kono mama issho ni_

 _yume no umi o_

 _oyoide yukou yo_

 _Kyou no umi o...!_

 _Arashi ga kitara_

 _Hareru made asobou_

 _Utaeba kitto tanoshii hazu sa_

 _Hitori janai_

 _Norikoerareru_

 _Fushigi nakurai_

 _Kowaku wa_

 _Nakunatte_

 _Arashi ga kitara_

 _Hareru made asobou_

 _Sore mo tanoshimi da ne honto sa_

 _Hitori janai_

 _Muri shinaide yo_

 _Tasukeaeba ii_

 _Waku waku_

 _Mijuku DREAMER_

 _Donna mirai ka wa_

 _Daremo mada shiranai_

 _Demo tanoshiku naru hazu dayo_

 _Minna to nara_

 _Norikoerareru_

 _Kore kara nanda ne_

 _Otagai_

 _Ganbarou yo_

 _Donna mirai ka wa_

 _Daremo mada shiranai_

 _Demo tanoshiku shitai honto ni_

 _Minna to nara_

 _Murishitaku naru_

 _Seichou shitai na_

 _Mada mada_

 _Mijuku DREAMER_

* * *

The song finished with the blast of fireworks going up in the air, as the nine members on the stage looked up in awe at the display. One of the members, Matsuura Kanan, smiled thoughtfully.

"Y'know, our group's name was actually Aqours before."

"Eh? Really?" Another member, Takami Chika, asked. The member beside her, Sakurauchi Riko, furrowed her brow.

"Okay, there's _no way_ that's a coincidence." Kanan shrugged.

"Then…" Watanabe You scrunched her face in thought. "Then, it must have been one of _you three_ that wrote the name in the sand that day!" she concluded, pointing at her three upperclassmen.

"Process of elimination," Mari teased. "Two of us live in Awashima, an island _away_ from where the three of you were." The other six members were in thought for a good five seconds before…

"AHHHH!"

They all pointed to their Student Council President, Kurosawa Dia, who playfully winked.

"It was me," she giggled.

* * *

 **One Week Later**

A raven-haired girl was cooped up in her bedroom as her three younger siblings slept soundly, napping. Still having the spirit of an idol fan, she wanted to see if there were any groups that would peak her interest. It was then that she came across a video that, in the last week, had over 150,000 views. The video's title…

"Mijuku DREAMER, Aqours," Yazawa Nico mumbled. She then looked at their one previous video with six members. "Yume de Yozora wo Terashitai… huh?" She glanced at her phone before grabbing it and speed-dialed a friend.

 _"Nico-chan? What's up? I'm a bit busy."_

"Of course you are, Miss Hospital Intern," she said teasingly to her former underclassman, Nishikino Maki. The other girl sighed through the line.

 _"Seriously, what is it?"_

"There's a group that I want you guys to check out."

 _"Eh?"_

"Their name… Aqours. A-Q-O-U-R-S."

 _"Nico-chan, you know I don't—"_

"You and I both know you have the time," Nico interrupted. Maki could only groan. "We all know that since our disbandment… we've all gone back to music at least a few times."

It's been about five years since μ's had disbanded. Despite their busy schedules, they had all stayed in touch. They had called each other, and occasionally met up with other members.

 _"Well, I'd be lying if I said I haven't touched the piano since then,"_ Maki admitted, chuckling. That chuckled soon followed with a sigh. _"Alright, Nico-chan, you win. I'll check them out. Should I tell the others?"_

"No need. I'll conference everyone in, just gimme a sec."

* * *

Riko sat on her bed, and pulled out her laptop, going to Aqours' homepage. She scrolled though to their latest video, and smiled at the number of views. She felt her heart warm up at the sight of the nine of them together as a group. Her heart seemed to skip a beat at the thought of performing together with such an amazing group of friends.

She glanced over at her piano that rested near the balcony doorway. She got up from her bed, and opened the piano. Gently taking a seat, she placed her hands on the keys, and began to play while singing.

 _Aishiteru banzai!_

 _Koko de yokatta_

 _Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru_

 _Aishiteru banzai!_

 _Hajimatta bakari_

 _Ashita mo yoroshiku ne_

 _Mada_

 _Gooru janai_

The redhead sighed softly, feeling refreshed after playing such an iconic song.

"You never cease to amaze me, Riko-chan," her neighbor, Chika, complimented. Riko turned in her seat.

"Chika-chan." She stood up and went over to her balcony.

"Was that another μ's song?"

"Mm-hmm. Aishiteru, Banzai." Chika sighed dreamily.

"That's such a pretty song! And their composer, who wrote it, is just as amazing!"

"Hehe," Riko giggled. "You really love μ's, don't you, Chika-chan?"

"Of course! They're my — no, _our_ inspiration!" Riko leaned forward, resting her forearms on the balcony.

"I do wonder, at times, what Nishikino Maki's inspiration is for writing her songs… It'd be great to learn from such a talented person like her."

Riko's laptop pinged, signaling that she got a notification. She turned toward her bed, and furrowed her brow. At the same time, Chika's sister, Mito, called for her from downstairs.

"Chika! Gimme a hand with these sheets!"

"Ah! Okay!" She turned to Riko. "I'll see you in the morning, Riko-chan! Let's catch the bus together, okay?"

"Un, see you then, Chika-chan. Good night."

"Night!"

The leader headed back inside, as Riko went over to her bed, reaching for her laptop.

"Mm? A notification from our website…?"


	2. Pondering Pianist

Riko couldn't sleep at all last night because of that email.

 _Sakurauchi-san. I've read up on you, your experience with the piano and your talented ear for music. Your group, Aqours, is aiming for Love Live, if I'm not mistaken. This may not seem like much, but I wish you the best of luck, and please rest assured that you have my full support._

The person's username was "Scarlet Princess".

On their way to the bus stop, Chika noticed Riko's expression as her mind wandered.

"Hm? Riko-chan, something wrong?"

"Mm? Ah, uh, no, it's nothing." Chika tilted her head slightly, and shrugged it off after a moment.

* * *

"Everyone accounted for?" Ayase Eri asked, doing one last head-count.

"Yep!" μ's leader, Honoka, exclaimed. "We're all here!"

Sonoda Umi spotted the bullet train, and waved everyone over. "This is it, everyone!" The nine members filed into the train and piled their luggage inside.

Maki sat near a window, while Eri and Umi sat beside her.

"Still, I can't believe your father agreed to pay for our _entire_ stay in Uchiura," Eri said.

"Well, we have a villa there, so he didn't mind, as long as we would be staying _somewhere_ for this trip," Maki said, twirling her hair. "It's gonna be a _long_ stay, I know that…"

* * *

"I don't see what the big deal is," Yoshiko said, crossing her arms over her chest. "All of us get individual messages from fans all the time on the website."

Classes had ended for the day, and Aqours were all assembled in the clubroom, Riko still pondering that email.

"Don't you think you may be overreacting just a bit, Riko?" Kanan added. The redhead sighed softly.

"But, what I don't understand is… this person made it sound like they had only _just_ heard of us."

"We get a lot of fans like that," Yoshiko shot back. "Coincidence?" Riko blew a breath, and ran a tired hand through her hair before standing up from her seat.

"Agh! I'm not gonna keep racking my brain over this!" She stepped towards the doorway.

"Where are you going?" Dia asked.

"The roof; gonna get some air."

Riko walked through the halls of Uranohoshi, and up some flights of stairs till she reached the roof. She breathed in the fresh air, and leaned overhead, staring longingly at the faint view of Mt. Fuji. She slipped her MP3 player from out of her pocket, and went through her playlists. She placed the earphones into her ears, and listened intently to a melody that she had cherished more than anything, despite the darkness behind it.

 _Umi ni Kaeru Mono…_

As the final chords of the melody played, she rested her hand to her cheek, before feeling a damp sensation. She quickly pulled her hand away, and sniffed, wiping her tears. She took a deep breath, and exhaled, letting her shoulders drop.

She grabbed her phone from her schoolbag, and went to the internet to access Aqours' website. She went through the fan mail that was sent to her. She moistened her lips before clicking on the username "Scarlet Princess". She blew a breath before typing…

 _Scarlet Princess-san…_

* * *

After two long hours, and another hour of heading to the villa, μ's had finally settled into Numazu.

Maki settled herself into a room and was in the middle of unpacking her things, when Eri walked in.

"This is a nice place, Maki."

"Thanks. The best part about this place is the overlook of the ocean." Eri sat beside Maki on the floor.

"That view is pretty breathtaking." The blonde Russian noticed her former underclassman's thoughtful expression and nudged her shoulder, catching her attention. "Something on your mind?"

"These girls… they had just recently got notice that their school was getting combined and shut down, right?"

"Yeah. And sometime after that, they had acquired their last three members. Matsuura Kanan, Ohara Mari, and Kurosawa Dia."

"They're all going through the same thing we did, but… for different reasons." Eri furrowed her brow.

"What d'you mean?"

"Otonokizaka was in danger of shutting down because of the declining birthrates, right?" Eri nodded. "Don't you sometimes feel like… I don't know, maybe we had it easier? Because, I mean, we _were_ in Tokyo, so it wasn't all that hard to gather people in for that open house when our group finally came together."

"But, the difference with Aqours is that…"

"Uranohoshi is so far off… Not to mention, the fact that they didn't receive _any_ votes from that first performance in Tokyo." Maki shook her head. "I can only imagine what that did to their morale."

"You have a point."

"And their composer… Sakurauchi Riko…" Maki bit her lip slightly before continuing. "I'm thinking of reaching out to her. I can tell she's in a bit of a rut right now, considering Mijuku DREAMER is only their second song. Plus… did Nico-chan tell you she used to be a student—"

"At Otonokizaka, yeah. Everyone had already graduated, though." Maki nodded before nipping her nail.

"Do you think I may be jumping the gun a bit here?" Erii chuckled.

"I'd be lying to say you aren't." She placed a hand on Maki's shoulder. "You should just wait it out. Maybe until they release their next video." Maki nodded. "Nico — and Hanayo — will keep us posted, anyhow." The redhead shared a laugh with the blonde, before hearing a cheerful voice from downstairs.

"Maki-chan! Eri-chan! Let's go check out the beach!" Rin yelled. Maki smiled softly at her friend's usual happiness, before Eri stood up from the floor, reaching her hand out.

"Let's go."

"Un," Maki said, taking Eri's hand.

As the two left the room, Maki's cell phone had pinged, signaling a notification, a reply from none other than…

Aqours' composer, Sakurauchi Riko.


	3. From the Shadows

"Let's do this!" Chika screamed, slipping her t-shirt off, revealing her one-piece swimsuit as she dove into the water, You following closely behind.

Ruby was relaxing in an inner tube, before You tickled her from underwater, causing the first-year to flop back into the water.

Kanan was tearing up the waves, loving the summer breeze, Mari chucked a beach ball in Chika's face. The remaining members watched their fun from the beach.

"Looks like everyone just ended up playing around," Dia pointed out.

"I managed to get here at 4am, like Dia-san said, but no one was here, zura…" Hanamaru sulked.

"Of course not!" Yoshiko retorted, laying on her stomach. "4:00am is clearly way too early."

"W-Well, in any case, we can still make up for lost time later on," Dia said, reassuring herself. "Anyway, we should probably get started at the snack bar before a crowd starts to flow, so let's move, people."

* * *

Kotori sighed dreamily, stretching her arms out.

"The air is so fresh here!"

"And, it's fairly peaceful," Umi added. "Wouldn't you agree, Nozomi?"

"It definitely beats the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Tokyo, that's for sure."

"Makes you kinda sleepy, huh?" Hanayo said. She turned to Honoka and Rin, who were both fast asleep. "Already?! C'mon, you two!"

"I remember seeing a scene similar to this during our second training camp," Eri pointed out. Nico passed by her with a bucket of water, and threw it at Honoka's and Rin's sleeping figures, splashing them awake.

"Wah!"

"Nya!"

The twin-tailed girl snickered at the two of them as they jolted up from the cold sensation of the ocean water.

"Mou, Nico-chan!"

"Not cool, nya!"

"Catch me if you can, stooges!" Nico shouted, running off into the ocean as Honoka and Rin chased after her. Eri giggled at her friends' antics before looking over at Maki.

"Shoot, I left my phone back at the villa…" she mumbled.

"Leave it there for now," Eri said, walking up to her. "Let's have some fun! Besides, either way, you _are_ wearing your swimsuit underneath that, right?" The blonde winked, making the redhead blush and turn her head.

"S-So what if I am?" Eri rolled her eyes, and pulled her over.

"C'mon!"

"Uwahh, Eri, d-don't pull like that!"

* * *

"Three orders up for Yokisoba, You!" Kanan called out into the kitchen area.

"Yousoro! Three Yokisoba, comin' right up, matey!" Kanan exited the bar for her break, sitting beside Dia.

"Coming along pretty smoothly so far, I'd say."

"Couldn't agree more. Let's hope we'll get some practice in once all our shifts are over." Kanan chuckled wryly, remembering the strict training regimen that her group would have to endure.

 _This is gonna bite our Council President in the butt, I'm sure…_

It was getting close to 6:00pm, so it was about time for them to close up shop for the day.

With the sun slowly beginning to set, Kanan ran with ease on the beach, ahead of the others. She stopped to take a breath.

"Guess doing this after the snack bar _is_ a bit tough, huh? Hm?" She looked at her fellow members who were completely breathless and gasping.

"D-Did μ's really undergo such a rigorous training regimen?" Dia groaned.

"I-It's too much…" Ruby sighed.

Kanan couldn't help but chuckle at her friends. She stretched out her arms, but when she looked ahead of her she saw a figure standing on the shore, a person who seemed to be staring longingly at the sunset.

"C-Could that be…?" she whispered, squinting her eyes to get a better look. She blinked twice, and the figure was gone. "Ah…" She blew a breath, and shook it off. "Must have been my imagination…"

It turned to a while after 7:00, and the group was in the middle of washing off, when Mari's stomach rumbled.

"So, Chikacchi, when do we eat?" Chika rested her hands behind her head.

"Yeah, about that… Mito-nee said that we have to take care of the leftover ourselves…"

"Ehh?!"

"Was there really that much left?" Riko asked.

"We sold out of almost all the Yokisoba… but next to none of the Shai-ni or Dantenshi no Namida…"

"My humble apologies!" Yoshiko said, bowing her head lowly along with Mari.

They all headed back inside the bar and into the kitchen area to see the gigantic pot of Shai-ni and leftover Datenshi no Namida.

"Urgh, you weren't kidding…" Dia groaned.

"How do they taste?" Ruby asked. "I wanna try!"

"It has peaked my interest," Kanan added.

"We should give them both a taste," Riko suggested.

"I'd like to try it, too!" Hanamaru said.

"With pleasure!" Yoshiko and Mari said.

* * *

After having dinner and bathing, everyone from μ's was about ready for bed.

Maki gripped her phone in her hand, staring at the email that she received.

 _Scarlet Princess-san,_

 _Thank you for offering your support in our group's efforts. And please don't consider that your support 'isn't much'. After all, every bit of it counts. Us participating in Love Live is our first step as a whole group of nine. With the influence of μ's, we aspire to turn our zero into a one. Again, from the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of every member of Aqours, I thank you so much for your support._

 _-Sakurauchi Riko_

Maki couldn't help the soft smile that curved her lips.

"Ganbatte nee, Sakurauchi-san."


	4. The Path She Chose

"So, you heard…"

Riko and Chika stood on the shore of the beach that night. Chika had discovered that Riko had a piano recital on the same day as the Love Live preliminaries.

"Yeah…" Chika sighed. Riko returned a soft smile.

"Well, there's no need for you to worry about this. I promise I'm not gonna miss Love Live."

"Huh?"

"Y'know, I honestly wasn't sure what to do when I got the message. Seemed like I was sorta given another chance out of the blue, and I'd be silly not to take it… But, then, we all started this summer camp, and we hung out together — that's what made me realize. I _like_ going to our school, and being a school idol. Ever since I moved out here, it's all become such a big part of my life." Riko could feel her heart warm at the thought of her friends. "I really like every single member of Aqours. And you, especially." Chika smiled softly at that. "So, I had to ask myself… 'Riko… what is most important to you?'" She rested her hands behind her back. "The answer wasn't hard to come by." She smiled, looking across the sea. "This is exactly where I want to be, and I've never been happier…"

That was the truth. Riko had finally felt like she belonged, and it was all thanks to Aqours.

"That's great," Chika said softly.

"I wanna make the best song I possibly can. My goal right now is to help us get through prelims, that's what's important to me." She turned to Chika, giving her brightest smile. "It's the truth."

"I understand. If you think that's really what you wanna do…"

"If only you'd hurry it up with those lyrics," Riko teased, as Chika pouted.

"Agh! Hey, stop rushing me," the ginger said, crossing her arms as Riko giggled.

"Relax, I'm just joking," she said, walking away from her. "Now, c'mon, we should head on inside before we catch cold."

"… Un."

* * *

The next morning, Maki decided to grab ingredients to make everyone breakfast. She looked up a grocery store nearby, and headed there.

After about twenty minutes, she headed out of the store, and before she could even blink, someone had run into her, causing her to drop the groceries.

"Ah, gomen'nasai! I didn't see where I was looking!" a voice said hastily. Maki sighed softly, but brushed it off, crouching down to pick up the groceries.

"No, it's fine, I'm just a little out of it today, is all…"

"Ah, let me help you!"

"Thanks," the redhead replied, not bothering to look up, before hearing another voice trail toward them.

"Ahh! Kanan-chan, what happened?!" Maki's eyes peered upward to see a girl with ash gray hair, and a cap that read "YOU" in pink lettering.

 _That's… Watanabe You…_

"Ah, You. It's nothing, just bumped into…" Kanan finally turned to Maki. "Eh?!" she squeaked. Maki's purple eyes met Kanan's purple eyes. That's when she realized.

 _And this girl… Matsuura Kanan… she's beautiful…_ _I wonder where the rest of their group is…_

"N-Nishikino… M-Maki?!" You shouted, baffled. Maki smiled softly up at You.

"That's a cute cap." She winked as You blushed.

"T-Thanks, ehehe…" You said bashfully, scratching the back of her head.

"Nishikino-san…"

"Mm?"

"May I ask… what you're doing here, in Uchiura?"

 _They can't know the real reason we're here,_ Maki thought. _Not yet_.

"I'm just here with my parents on vacation. We've heard a lot about Uchiura, mainly that the beaches are to die for," she said sincerely. "They're beautiful."

"Well, if you or your parents ever wanna relax, our close friend has an inn where you could stay the night!" You offered.

"That sounds fabulous. I'll take you up on that."

"Thanks!" You saluted, giving a wink.

Maki looked at her watch for the time. Everyone should be waking up right about now.

"Well, listen, I have to get going, I promised my mother I'd help with breakfast." She flashed a smile. "It was wonderful to meet you girls." She placed a hand on Kanan's shoulder. "And, don't worry about bumping into me; happens to everybody, right?" She gave a wink, and walked off, but stopped for a second. "Oh, but one more thing. Could you not mention to anyone that you saw me? Wouldn't want my parents getting stalked or anything…"

"Your secret's safe with us," Kanan said, placing a finger to her lips.

"Our lips are sealed." Maki giggled.

"Thanks, girls."

* * *

"Where are you going, Kanan-chan?" Chika asked her childhood friend.

"I'm gonna talk to Riko about the dance steps. Wanna come along?"

"Can I?!"

The two were discussing Aqours' next song, sitting in Riko's room with her.

"Something precious to you…?" Riko asked.

"So, that's the theme for the lyrics?" Kanan asked Chika.

"Yep, that's what I have so far, at least. Haven't written much yet." Chika passed the her notebook over to Riko, who took a glance at it.

"Something precious to you…" she whispered thoughtfully. She looked over at her desk. Chika followed her eyes to see a set of sheet music sitting on the desk.

"Riko."

"Eh?"

"Why don't we take a look and help Chika out, huh?"

"Uh, s-sure, yeah…"

The next night, Chika just couldn't find herself falling asleep anytime soon, so she forced herself out of bed.

"Riko-chan!" Riko groaned as her friend pressed her cheeks together.

"What now?"

"I've got a favor to ask."

The next thing Riko knew, she was on a bicycle, as Chika cycled in front of her, in the dead of night.

"It's the middle of the night! Where in the world are we going?"

The two ended up going towards Uranohoshi, and the next second, they were in the music room. China held up the sheet music for Umi ni Kaeru Mono.

"This is the song that you came up with, struggled with, and tried your absolute hardest to make a reality." Her eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Will you please play it for me?"

"I-I don't know…"

"C'mon, pretty please! You don't even have to play the entire piece, just a bit of it." The redhead sighed softly.

"It's really nothing special…"

Riko has this thing where she considers herself "normal" or boring. But, once she touches a piano, that's where she truly shines. Not just as an idol, but as a person. To Riko, playing the piano has always made her "find herself" in more ways than one. And she let that show as her fingers gracefully danced across the keys of the piano.

After hearing such bliss, Chika decided to talk to Riko on the pier.

"It's a beautiful song," she complimented. "I can tell it's got a lot of 'you' in it." Chika sighed softly. "Riko-chan."

"Hm?"

"I want you to participate in the competition."


	5. Face to Face

"Guys! Wake up! Aqours just posted an update on their website!" Hanayo squealed. Everyone mumbled and groaned, the other eight members slowly slipping out of their bedrooms.

"What did they say?" Honoka asked, stifling a yawn. Hanayo passed her phone around to everyone to see the latest post on Aqours' website.

 _Hi, everyone! Aqours will be taking part in the Love Live prelims, so anyone who wants to offer support is welcome to attend. Unfortunately, we will only be performing with eight members, as our composer, Sakurauchi Riko-chan, will be performing at a piano recital in Tokyo. Though not all the members will be there, we will surely perform with our treasured ninth member and dear friend in mind. So, anyone who is able to, please come out to support! Please watch us shine at our absolute best!_

 _-Takami Chika_

"…"

"Will they be at separate venues?" Maki asked.

"Why does that matter?" Nico shot back.

"I think I know why," Eri said, giving Maki a knowing look. The redhead blushed and glanced away.

"Maki-chan, do you…"

"She wants to go see Sakurauchi-san's performance… isn't that right?" Eri guessed. Maki could only nod.

"I can't really explain, but… all I know is… Sakurauchi Riko… she has potential. I really believe she does."

"You don't even know her," Nico grumbled.

"I know through the songs that she's composed for her group. The melodies, the harmonies, they all just… _spoke_ to me, in a way, I guess."

"You feel really strongly about this, don't you?" Umi asked. Maki nodded.

"What d'you have to say about this, leader?" Kotori asked Honoka. The ginger smiled.

"I say, go on ahead, Maki-chan!"

"Honoka…"

"But, at least, let us know how good Sakurauchi-san is, okay?" Honoka said with a wink.

"Will do," Maki said, smiling.

* * *

Aqours were all in their costumes backstage, along with a little motif — scrunchies that Riko had sent them while she's staying in Tokyo.

It was just about time for them to go on.

They all circled together, and stacked their hands on top of one another.

Meanwhile, Riko was in the prep room, about ready to head backstage at the Concert Hall in Tokyo. She looked at her sakura-pink scrunchy, and smiled softly.

"It's about that time…"

Chika gave a determined smile to the rest of her friends.

"Alright, here we go! We're doing this for Love Live! For our first big step! So, girls, let's shine with everything we've got! Aqours!"

"Sa~nshain!"

Riko walked onto the stage, the atmosphere almost suffocating, but she didn't let that phase her. The song that she was about to perform had meant something to her. It had meant something to all the members of Aqours. She had to perform it perfectly. She wasn't going to let the nerves get to her; not this time. She wasn't going to make the same mistake she make back at Otonokizaka. Because she had a whole group of friends that would support her.

Maki took a seat in the center of the hall, and glanced to her left. She noticed a woman who had the exact same hair and eye color as Riko.

 _Must be her mother…_

Maki glanced down at the woman's hands; they were clenched.

 _It's no wonder she'd be nervous, my mother was the exact same way at_ my _recitals, so I know the feeling all too well._

She looked straight ahead at Riko as she smiled and took a bow.

 _Sakurauchi-san… ganbatte!_

Riko took a quick breath before playing.

Meanwhile, Aqours was positioned, and Chika began to sing.

 _Omoi yo hitotsu ni nare (omoi ga hitotsu ni naru toki)_

 _Kono toki o matteita_

 _Futo kidzuku to kasanariau yo_

 _Ichizu ni mirai o yobu kokoro_

 _Furueteru te o nigitte iku nda yo_

 _Surechigatta ato de_

 _Douji ni furimuita_

 _Hora ne_

 _Hontou wa_

 _Issho datta yo kimochi wa ne_

 _Nanika o tsukamu koto de (yume ni mo iroiro aru kara)_

 _Nanika o akiramenai (sou desho?)_

 _Omoi yo hitotsu ni nare_

 _Doko ni itemo_

 _Onaji ashita o_

 _Shinjiteru_

 _Wow wow itsudatte kokoro no mama_

 _Wow wow itsudatte hitotsu ni nare_

 _Chikadzuitari hanaretari datta ne_

 _Umaku ikanakute_

 _Zutto_

 _Tsutaerarenai koto ga atta yo_

 _Majime na kao shite_

 _Douji ni waraidasu_

 _Yappari_

 _Kimi to_

 _Tsunagatteru ureshii yo_

 _Daijina yume ou toki_

 _Daijina hito ga wakaru_

 _Omoi wa hitotsu dayo to_

 _Chigau basho e_

 _Mukau toshitemo shinjiteru_

 _Kakegae no nai hibi o_

 _Sugoshiteta nda_

 _Imasara wakatta_

 _Hitori janai_

 _Kakegae no nai hibi o (koko de)_

 _Tsumi kasanete (hitotsu hitotsu)_

 _Imasara wakatta_

 _Hitori janai (issho dayo ne)_

 _Nanika o tsukamu koto de (yume ni mo iroiro aru kara)_

 _Nanika o akiramenai (sou desho?)_

 _Omoi yo hitotsu ni nare_

 _Doko ni itemo_

 _Onaji ashita o_

 _Shinjiteru_

 _Daijina yume ou toki_

 _Daijina hito ga wakaru_

 _Omoi wa hitotsu dayo to (wakaru nda omoi wa hitotsu)_

 _Chigau basho e_

 _Mukau toshitemo_

 _Shinjiteru (shinjiteru kara)_

The final melody played, and Riko and rest of Aqours had successfully completed their performances. Riko stood up from the piano bench, went upstage, and took a bow. She looked up from hearing the roar of applause throughout the hall. Her mother stood up, and wiped a joyful tear from her eye.

Maki smiled softly as she applauded along with the audience. She made a mental note to go see Riko backstage.

* * *

The other eight members of μ's left the venue of Aqours' performance, chatting away about how amazing they all were.

"That was amazing!" Honoka squealed. "Ah~ that song is still ringing in my ears! Aqours is just so good!"

"The lyrics certainly were beautiful," Umi commented. "I could have never written something like that for μ's."

"Your lyrics were just as good, Umi-chan!" Nozomi complimented.

"I wonder how Sakurauchi-san's performance is going…" Eri wondered.

* * *

Maki successfully managed to make her way backstage, following her mother to where Riko's prep room was.

"I really mean it, though, your daughter has an _amazing_ talent," she complimented.

"Thank you, Nishikino-san."

"Please, just Maki is fine."

Riko's mother knocked on the door.

"It's open!" Riko called from the inside. Her mother opened the door.

"Riko, there's someone here who wants to see you."

"Hm? Who?" Maki stepped forward and smiled softly. Riko's eyes widened. "…Eh?"

"Pleased to meet you, Sakurauchi-san."


	6. Two Melodies, One Song

"It was truly an _honor_ getting to see your performance," Maki said sincerely, Riko still sitting there flabbergasted that she was being complimented by _the_ Nishikino Maki of μ's.

"A-Arigato gozaimasu…" Maki giggled before placing a hand on Riko's shoulder.

"You don't have to be so nervous," she said, giving a reassuring smile. "Just think of me as a fellow pianist," she added with a wink. "I admire your talent, Sakurauchi-san, really."

"Y-You don't know what that means coming from a person as phenomenal as you." Maki chuckled, twirling her hair.

"Wow, five years later, and people _still_ talk about us like we're goddesses?"

"I mean… aren't you…?" Maki furrowed her brow. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but… didn't your group name represent the nine Greek muses?" Then, Maki nodded her head knowingly.

"Right, right, heh." She couldn't help the laugh that left her lips. "Sorry, I just sometimes forget…"

"How?" Riko asked suddenly. Maki turned to look at her. Riko's expression was stern. "How could you possibly forget… the impact that you've had on _so many_ peoples' lives?" Maki couldn't help but laugh.

"You're exaggerating."

"It's the truth!" Riko insisted. Maki was surprised at this girl's determination. "I've always just been this normal girl, who never really stood out as much. And, up until I met Chika-chan, I was utterly _clueless_ about school idols. But, once I started to learn more and more about them, I was inspired to get back into playing the piano." Riko looked down at her hand that wore the sakura-pink scrunchy. "And I have an amazing group of friends that I would never think to leave." She looked back up at Maki, the fire glowing in her golden eyes. "Chika-chan reached out to me and the rest of our group because she saw one of your performances on the screen at UTX. She fell in love with how brightly all of you had shone. She gets worked up just talking about all of you…" Maki managed a smile. "What I'm trying to say here is… we don't intend to steal your material or anything, I mean, we're not _that_ desperate. We just use μ's as… our drive to keep going in our efforts."

"To turn your 'zero into a one'… right?" It had taken Riko a second.

"Wait. H-How would you know what that…" Her voice trailed off as Maki gave her a knowing look. " _You're_ Scarlet Princess?!" Maki shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"Yep. I was the one that sent that first message to you personally. I hope I didn't surprise you _too_ much." Riko snapped out of her daze.

"N-No, I just… can't believe that I was messaging you the entire time, I… had no idea." Maki giggled.

"Well, to answer your question from earlier, I can't forget the smiles that μ's had put on peoples' faces. I can't forget all the fun we had, all the experiences we had gone through. But, you know the saying… 'All good things must come to an end'. And yes, I believe that μ's has 'left its mark' on the school idol world, but…" She placed a hand on Riko's shoulder. "Riko-chan." Riko blushed slightly, as Maki lent a smile. "Do you mind if I call you that?" Riko shook her head, and Maki went on. "I'm gonna be blunt here. My group, μ's… we shouldn't be the center of all the possible reasons why Aqours is entering Love Live, much less why you wanna save your school. If you're looking for a reason to win Love Live, we shouldn't be the first reason that you find. Chasing after us, while trying to fulfill your dream… isn't fulfilling your dream at all. Fulfilling your dream, means chasing after it because you _want to_. Not because we did the same thing." She gave Riko's shoulder a squeeze. "Do you understand what I'm getting at here?" After a second, Riko gave a nod.

"I think I do." Maki gave a satisfied smile and glanced at the clock in the room.

"Riko-chan."

"Yes?"

"That song that you played today… I would love to hear it again."

"Eh?"

"I often have this place reserved, for when I just need a breather, and I sometimes play on the Baby Grand that's on the stage that you were just on. That song… it just, somehow, resonated within me… I would love to hear you play it again." Riko's heart was just about to leap out of her chest, as Maki lent an encouraging smile. "Will you please play if for me?" Riko smiled, and nodded.

"Yes! Of course!"

* * *

The two pianists made their way back onto the stage. Riko sat on the piano bench.

"Y'know, if this piece has any other accompaniment, I'd be happy to help," Maki offered.

"Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Riko brought a finger up to her chin, thinking.

"Mmm… I was thinking of playing a slower rendition of this piece, so a violin would be a best accompaniment." Maki gave a wink.

"Gotcha." Within minutes, Maki was back up onstage with a violin in her hand. Riko brought out the sheet music for her song, Umi ni Kaeru Mono, and handed it to Maki, who placed in on a stand in front of her. Maki stood elegantly, positioning the violin. "Ready when you are."

This was a piece that Riko hadn't thought of playing since Otonokizaka. But, now she had someone by her side that would take away the fear of that piece. She was confident that she could play it. She took a deep breath before playing.

The chords that echoed throughout the hall left Maki breathless. It had almost caused a tear to leave her eye. She was playing this piece effortlessly. Riko's hands weren't shaky, and she smiled as she played.

When Riko nodded towards Maki, Maki looked at the sheet music given to her and let the bow flow on her violin. The sound that these two were creating was something almost majestic. Riko could not believe even for a second that she was experiencing such a magical moment. This was something that she couldn't possibly forget.


	7. Their Efforts

_"Hey, listen, Riko-chan."_

 _"Yes, Maki-san?"_

 _"If you're ever in Tokyo again… Let me know. And… can you stop by Otonokizaka?"_

 _"Eh?"_

 _"If you do decide to go…" She gave a wink. "I'll be waiting."_

* * *

It had been a week since the Love Live preliminaries, and everyone was awaiting the results. Both Aqours and μ's. Honoka wanted to see how their efforts would pay off.

Back at Maki's villa, Hanayo, Honoka and Nico were staring at Nico's phone, while everyone waited around for the results.

"I really hope they make it!" Honoka squealed.

"I'm sure they will," Maki reassured.

"Oh, yeah, Maki-chan!" Rin squealed. "How was Sakurauchi-san's performance?"

"It was amazing. Well, not that I expected anything less from her." Nico furrowed her brow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Nico asked.

"Oh, nothing."

* * *

Meanwhile, Dia, Kanan and You were staring at You's phone, eagerly awaiting the results.

"Still not there?" Ruby asked.

"Goodness sake, just how long are we gonna wait?" Dia whined. Kanan squirmed in her place.

"Agh, I hate this kinda stuff!"

"Calm down," Chika said.

"I'm gonna go for a quick run," Kanan said, passing by Chika.

"I'll call you when we get the results!" Kanan stopped in her tracks.

"Don't worry about it."

"Then, would you rather not know?" Kanan groaned, and turned back towards her friends.

* * *

Maki clenched her fists, letting her fingernails dig into her palms. After about three minutes, the results were finally up.

"Ah, they're here!"

"It's Aqours' 'A', Nico-chan!"

"I know, I know!" Nico read down the list. "EASE EXPRESS, GREEN TEAS, MEENANA, and…" Her eyes widened. "Aqours."

"Eh?!"

"Aqours!" Honoka shouted. "They passed the prelims!"

"They did it, nya!" Rin squealed.

"That's fantastic!" Umi exclaimed.

"Isn't that great, Maki-chan?" Nozomi said to Maki. Maki smiled the most genuine smile.

"Yeah," she laughed. "That's… amazing!"

"That just means they're that much closer to Love Live," Kotori added.

"Good for them!" Hanayo said, smiling.

* * *

Back in Tokyo, Riko was in the one of the restrooms of the hall, trying to calm herself.

She had received the trophy for passing the performance in her piano competition, and cried tears of joy as she hugged her mother tightly.

She had to refresh herself in the restroom because she could not believe that this was happening. She took a deep breath, and pulled out her phone. She went through her contacts, and one of them read… "Maki-san".

She dialed her number, and waited a few seconds, hearing one ring, then about three more, before Maki answered.

* * *

Maki stepped out of the room where the other members were. She walked over to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Hi, Riko-chan. Congratulations to your group, we just saw the results."

 _"Eh? They passed the prelims?"_ Maki nodded, though she knew Riko couldn't see her.

"Yeah." She heard a sigh of relief pass through the other line.

 _"Haah, thank goodness…"_

"You must be proud of them."

 _"I am… Maki-san."_

"Mm?"

 _"I just called to let you know that—"_

"You passed your piano competition?" Maki guessed.

 _"Yes…"_

Maki was over the moon. She grinned, and brought her free hand to her heart, to stop it from racing.

"Congratulations. I knew you could do it."

 _"Arigato gozaimasu."_

* * *

Kanan thought it was a good idea to celebrate their achievement with a full mini-boat of sashimi!

"Alright, here's all the fish we caught this morning! It's all yours!"

"Why are we celebrating with sashimi?" Chika asked.

"Well, it doesn't feel like we're celebrating if the fish isn't fresh!"

"There has to be something else, like natsumikan!"

"Or pastries!" Hanamaru added, munching on Noppa-Pan.

"Well, sashimi is fine, too," Kanan said, as Ruby ran into the room, carrying a laptop.

"Everyone! Take a look at this!"

"What is it?" Chika asked.

"The number of views for our PV!"

The number was around the same as their last PV, before Kanan and the others had joined. _158,372._ In one week alone.

"That's a lot of views!" You commented.

"That's not all! There are a whole bunch of comments, too!" Ruby squealed.

 _How cute!_

 _They might make nationals!_

 _This is a dark horse!_

"The dark side?!" Yoshiko exclaimed.

"I'm glad it wasn't a zero this time," You said thankfully.

"Well, of course! We did make it past the prelims, after all."

Just then, Chika's phone began to ring. She picked up her phone from the table.

"It's Riko-chan!"

* * *

"Congratulations on passing through the prelims!"

 _"What about your piano competition?"_

Riko looked at the trophy placed on the table.

"I played just fine. I feel like I was able to play the song I was searching for."

 _"That's great…"_ Riko heard another voice on the line.

 _"Then, let's make sure that we'll sing with all nine voices next time!"_ You exclaimed. _"For Love Live!"_

"Yeah, it's gonna be all nine voices next time, for sure!"

* * *

That night, Maki was texting Riko.

 _So, your school_ still _doesn't have applicants? -Maki_

 _Sadly, no… -Riko_

 _*Sigh* I wish there was something I could do to help… -Maki_

 _I appreciate the thought, but this is our battle; have to fight it on our own. But, now Chika-chan wants to come back to Tokyo, so the group can… maybe find some answers. What do you think about that, Maki-san? -Riko_

Maki bit her lip slightly before replying.

 _I think it's a good idea. I mean, it may or may not help, but that's to find out for yourselves. But, just know that I'm behind you 100%. -Maki_

 _Thank you -Riko_

There was a knock at Maki's bedroom door.

 _Hey, listen. I have to get going, but please let me know once you decide to go to Otonokizaka, alright? I'd really appreciate it. -Maki_

 _Of course. I'll be sure to let you know. Thank you for everything, Maki-san. Your guidance, and thank you for that accompaniment the other day. It's a shame we didn't record it. It would have been nice to listen to… -Riko_

Maki smiled at that.

 _My pleasure. -Maki_


	8. Mermaids Meet Goddesses

"So, the point is for them to come to Otonokizaka?" Nico asked Maki.

"That's what I have planned. What do you guys think?"

"…"

"Seems like a good idea to me," Honoka said. "Plus, it'd give all of us a chance to properly meet!"

"Yay~! I'm excited, nya!" Rin squealed.

"Me, too," Hanayo added.

"So, Sakurauchi-san is gonna text you once Aqours is heading to Otonokizaka?" Nozomi asked. Maki nodded.

"We have to be there before them, so this needs to be planned out perfectly." Nico crossed her arms over her chest.

"Geez, you're being awfully meticulous about this," she grumbled.

"Don't worry about it!" Maki shot back.

* * *

Aqours had met up with Saint Snow in order to have some light shed on their situation.

"This is a pretty impressive place…" Chika commented, looking around the lounge at UTX.

"Congratulations on making past the prelims," Riko said politely.

"Your performance was really cool," Mari added.

"There's no need to praise us, or anything," the older sister of Saint Snow, Seira, said. "After all, your video clearly had more views than ours."

"Oh, no," You said bashfully.

"It's nothing!" Ruby added.

"But, we _are_ gonna take the championship," Seira declared. "Ria and I decided to become school idols after seeing A-RISE. We've thought about it plenty, too. What makes μ's and A-RISE so great, and what's different about them…"

"Did you find the answer?" Chika asked.

"… No. But, all there is to it… is you simply have to win. You have to win, follow in their footsteps, and see what they saw."

"… Do you want to win?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want to win Love Live?"

"… Nee-sama, what's with this girl?" Seira's younger sister, Ria, asked.

"If you don't want to win, then why are you entering Love Live?"

"Well…" Seira stood up.

"Why do you think μ's and A-RISE entered Love Live?" When she didn't receive an answer, she walked over to the window. "They should be announcing the venue for this year's championship tournament." She turned towards the others. "Do you want to have a look? The announcing of it is a bit of a tradition here."

The members of Aqours all headed outside, and stared in awe at the words on the screen.

 ** _LOVE LIVE! FINAL STAGE_**

 ** _AKIBA DOME_**

"Akiba Dome…"

"So, it's really being held there…"

Chika stared longingly at the screen.

"It's kind of hard to imagine…"

Riko suddenly thought back to her exchange of texts between Maki.

 _"Can you stop by Otonokizaka?"_

Riko blew a breath before turning to her friends.

"Hey, girls… why don't we go check out Otonokizaka?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, it's close by from here. Plus, it was my fault we couldn't go last time…"

"Are you sure?" Chika asked.

"Absolutely. I don't know what it is… Maybe because I was finally able to play the piano again, that I've had a change of heart. But, I really do wanna go now. I wanna see how I'll feel. What do you guys think?"

"I agree!" You said, raising her hand.

"So do I," Kanan added. "Who knows, maybe this'll give us the answer we're looking for."

* * *

They finally arrived at Otonokizaka. They were a few flights of stairs away to seeing the whole place.

As promised, Riko had texted Maki that they were at the bottom of the stairway.

Maki and the rest of μ's were waiting patiently near a tree outside the gates of their alma mater.

"Ah, they're coming up!" Hananyo squealed.

"Really, nya?" Maki looked towards the top of the stairs.

As Aqours ran up the stairs, each member of μ's could feel their heart pounding. They finally made it up the stairs, and stared in complete awe.

"This is where μ's was…" They all had the brightest smiles on their faces.

"They saved this school!" Dia said, marveling at the sight.

"They performed in Love Live…"

"And pulled off a miracle!"

Maki chuckled at that.

 _These girls…_

"So, Chika-chan…"

"Hm?"

"Did you find any clues?" Riko asked her friend. After about a second, Chika smiled softly.

"I did. Just a little one. What about you?"

"Yeah. I'm glad. It's finally clear to me, now that I've come here… I guess, I really did love this school…"

Maki couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. She noticed Chika bow towards the gates of their alma mater. Soon enough, the other eight members followed suit.

"Arigato gozaimashita!" μ's quickly paced themselves over to their bowed figures, so that when they looked up…

"You're welcome…" Eri said softly, standing in front of Dia.

Standing before them, was μ's.

"…"

"W-Whoa, whoa, whoa!" You exclaimed, caught completely off-guard. "T-This has to be a joke, right?!"

"I-I'm dreaming…" Ruby whispered, standing in front of Nico. "This has to be a dream…"

"Oh, is that so, Kurosawa Ruby?" Nico challenged. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Then, try pinching yourself.

Ruby did as she was told, and felt the pain in return.

"Mm! Owie…" she whimpered, rubbing her cheek. Eri giggled, and turned her attention back to Dia.

"And, you must be her sister, Kurosawa Dia, if I'm not mistaken." Dia mumbled and stuttered before Kanan nudged her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze.

"Y-Yes, I am…"

"Nice to see you again, Matsuura-san, Watanabe-san," Maki said to You and Kanan.

"Ah, hehe, yeah, h-hello again, heh," You said bashfully.

"Eh? Maki-san, you met Kanan-san and You-chan already?" Maki scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, see, about that…"

* * *

"Ehhh?!"

"Y-You all were at our performance?!" Chika asked Honoka. The other ginger nodded.

"And, Maki-chan went to go see your friend, Riko-chan!"

"Honoka showed me your performance on your website, Chika-san," Maki said. "You all shone so brightly. Those lyrics are beautiful."

"Ehehe, arigato gozaimasu."

"Mind if I make a suggestion, everyone?" Nozomi said, raising her hand.

"What is it, Nozomi?" Eri asked.

"I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, now that we're standing in front of our alma mater…" She smiled at the other seventeen people. "Why don't we take a look around?"


	9. Revelation and Realization

As Nozomi suggested, both μ's and Aqours wandered the school, some in pairs, and some in groups of three.

Nozomi and Eri were in the Student Council Room with Kanan and Dia. The former μ's idols were staring longingly out the window as Kanan and Dia were seated.

"We all talked about it before, y'know." Nozomi said, turning to Kanan and Dia. "About the future of school idols…"

"If this will continue…" Eri turned to the two sitting before them. "or if it'll eventually die down." The blonde went over to Dia, meeting her eyes. "Dia-san. You've done your research. Can you tell us why μ's decided to disband?"

"… Because the three of you had to graduate. Nozomi-san, Eri-san, and Nico-san." Nozomi nodded. "You realized that still being school idols wouldn't mean anything if it meant not having the nine of you together."

"The two of you are Aqours' founders," Nozomi pointed out. "You were the ones that decided to become school idols. Now, although the three of you third-years joined Aqours _last_ , you still kept the same name. Now, the question is… are you still gonna keep the name after the three of you graduate?"

"Eh…?"

"Surely, the two of you know the history behind third-year school idols," Eri said, glancing over at Kanan. "Kanan-san, were you aware of that?" Kanan bit her lip slightly before responding.

"Yes." Dia nodded as well.

Eri placed her hands on each of their shoulders.

"I gave our second and first-year teammates the time to decide the future of μ's after we graduated." She lent a smile. "The task that we're giving the two of you is… whether or not you wanna discuss the future of Aqours to the rest of its members." Kanan and Dia's heads lowered. "Dia-san." Dia looked up at Eri, as emerald met blue. "Your sister. Ruby-chan. The decision is really up to you, but… being an older sister myself… I'm sure you wouldn't wanna leave your sister in the dark about this, assuming that she doesn't know." Dia could feel the heaviness build up on her shoulders, thinking of her sister.

"We don't mean to be harsh," Nozomi said softly. "But, the three of you are graduating. That's not something that you can prolong, much less prevent from happening. We don't mean to spring this on you so early in your school idol careers, but… it wasn't something that we could ignore."

"We understand," Kanan said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Maki and Riko were in the music room, marveling at the sight of the piano that sat there.

"I guess this is a nostalgic sight for the both of us, huh?" Maki said, chuckling as Riko laughed.

"You're right about that." Maki went around and sat at the piano bench, patting the spot beside her. Riko smiled softly and sat beside Maki, as the μ's redhead played the beginning chord of _Aishiteru, Banzai_.

 _Aishiteru banzai!_

 _Koko de yokatta_

 _Watashitachi no ima ga koko ni aru_

 _Aishiteru banzai!_

 _Hajimatta bakari_

 _Ashita mo yoroshiku ne_

 _Mada gooru janai_

The echo of the piano keys resonated throughout the room, as Maki sang the next part.

 _Waratte yo kanashii nara_

 _Fuki to basou yo_

 _Waraetara kawaru keshiki_

 _Harema ga nozoku_

 _Fuan demo shiawase e to_

 _Tsunagaru michi ga_

 _Miete kita yo na_

 _Aozora_

Immediately following, Riko sang, matching with Maki's vocals.

 _Tokidoki ame ga furu kedo_

 _Mizu ga nakucha taihen_

 _Kawaicha dame dayo_

 _Minna no yume no ki yo sodate_

The two musicians harmonized the final part.

 _Saa!_

 _Daisuki da banzai!_

 _Makenai yuuki_

 _Watashitachi wa ima o_

 _Tanoshimou_

 _Daisuki da banzai!_

 _Ganbareru kara_

 _Kinou ni te o futte_

 _Hora mae muite_

Maki sighed softly, as Riko gave her brightest smile. Just then, they heard clapping coming from outside the door. Maki looked through to see Honoka and Chika, smiling. Maki laughed as the two gingers walked opened the door before walking into the room.

"Just like old times, eh?" Honoka said jokingly before lending a smile to Riko. "Your singing is beautiful, Riko-chan."

"A-Arigato gozaimasu," she replied, blushing softly.

"Hehe!" Chika grinned. "That's our Riko-chan!" She hugged Riko from behind.

"Ch-Chika-chan!" Riko giggled. "That tickles!" Maki and Honoka smiled at the two younger girls. Honoka gave Maki a knowing look, and the redhead nodded.

"Hey, you two… Why don't we all gather up and head for the beach?"

"The beach?"

* * *

The two groups all took the bullet train to the beach. Getting off, Honoka tapped Chika's shoulder.

"Honoka-san."

"Chika-chan…" Honoka bit her lip slightly hesitating, before chuckling. "Your group is just something else… You're all so amazing!" She gave a wink. "I'm sure you'll ace Love Live!" Chika blushed like mad.

"Honoka-san…" She scratched the back of her head. "Ehehe, we'll try our absolute best!" Honoka wrapped an arm around her.

"We've got your backs! All of us, so don't you worry!"

"Honoka-san…" Chika could feel a tear seeping out of her eye. Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe that her idol was giving her these words of support!

As they were making their way to the beach, Kanan stepped over to Dia.

"So… have you thought about it?"

"Have _you_?" Kanan chuckled.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this…"

"Me, too," Dia sighed. "But… we have to decide at some point."

"That's true."

Kanan wasn't fond of having to make life-changing decisions. It was hard enough for her to decide whether or not to disband their group two years ago! Now, they've gone full circle.

The blue-haired third-year shook her head, and wrapped an arm around Dia's shoulders, pulling her close.

"If we put our heads together long enough, we're sure to figure something out! Right?"

"Kanan-san…"

They all arrived at the beach, and Honoka couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness wash over her. She smiled if off, but it didn't go unnoticed by a member of Aqours.

"Honoka-san, is something the matter?" You asked. The former μ's leader shook her head.

"Nothing, it's just that…" She glanced at Maki and the redhead nodded. "This beach… is the place where we decided that we would break up after Love Live…"


	10. The Harsh Truth

"Wait… _this_ is where you decided to disband?" Dia asked the former μ's leader. Maki nodded.

"Yeah. Honoka and I talked it over, and after a lot of thinking, this is where we decided we would tell Eri, Nozomi, and Nico-chan." The former μ's members all smiled sadly at the not-so-fond memory of the day that they decided on their disbandment.

"Actually, girls…" Riko said to her friends. "I actually wanted us to go to Otonokizaka because Maki-san set that up…"

"Set up?" Dia asked, quoting Riko.

"What d'you mean, Riko?" Kanan asked.

"She _wanted_ us to come to Otonokizaka. That's why we came face to face with μ's." Riko smiled towards her mentor. "She planned this whole thing out." Maki blushed slightly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, I-I mean, _I_ can't take _all_ the credit. Nico-chan's the one that came across your guys' website."

Nico responded by pouting, mirroring Maki's movements.

"Hmph! Put me on the spot, why don't ya!"

"Well, you _were_ the one that found them!"

"Maki-chan," Nozomi said, getting her former underclassman's attention. "We're getting off-track." She gave a smile. "That's not the reason we came here, now, is it?"

Maki groaned at that, and blew a breath.

"Then, I'm assuming you and Eri told Kanan-san and Dia-san already, right?"

"Yes, we did," Eri replied, looking at Dia.

"Um… then, could we please have a minute alone with our group, Eri-san?"

The blonde Russian glanced at the rest of her friends, and they all nodded affirmatively.

"Alright. We'll leave you to it, then…"

* * *

"What's this about, Kanan-chan?" You asked.

"Onee-chan?" Ruby asked her sister.

The two older girls heaved a collective sigh, Kanan placing her hands on her hips, and Dia crossing her arms over her chest.

"Guess this couldn't wait till we got to the clubroom, huh…"

"If the two of you have something so important to say, then spit it out already!" Yoshiko demanded.

"Yoshiko-chan!" Hanamaru retorted to her friend.

"Maru, Yoshiko-chan's right. It's time this was let out in the open…"

The air among the nine of them was tense. Dia kept her eyes locked on her younger sister's, feeling a pang in her chest. Kanan locked eyes with her childhood friend, Chika, and clenched her fist.

"Mari-san… you do know that as third-years, we graduate fairly soon, right?" Dia asked. The blonde Aqours member nodded.

"Of course I know that."

"Mari…" Kanan said, calming her nerves. "That was… part of the reason why I didn't wanna re-form Aqours after you came back…"

"W-What does you being third-years have to do with—" Dia cut her sister off.

"Our last year at Uranohoshi also means… our last year as school idols. Permanently."

A slight breeze flew among the nine of them, making the air that much harder to handle.

"K-Kanan-chan…" Chika said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Y-You… can't be serious."

"Don't play dumb, Chika," Kanan said sternly to her childhood friend. "Knowing so much about school idols, you, of all people, should have seen this coming!"

"W-Well, I…"

"Kanan-san…" Dia said softly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Onee-chan…" Ruby whispered. Dia looked her sister in the eye, and could see the pain building in those emerald gems. "Why… didn't you say anything…?" Dia kept her lips creased together, in an effort to keep from shouting at her sister. This frustrated her so much!

"Kanan… Dia…" Mari stepped over to her dear friends. "You're telling me that this will all end immediately after we graduate?"

"You're not gonna be the Director for long, Mari!" Kanan shot back. "Your position as a school idol isn't the only thing that's ending!"

"… Riko-chan…?" You asked her friend. Everyone's eyes turned on her, and her fists were clenched at her sides.

"Riko?" Kanan asked her underclassman.

"So, you're saying… we should disband. Is that it?" Riko challenged, biting down on her tongue for even suggesting such a thing.

"N-No! T-That's not what we're trying to—"

"Really, Kanan-san? Because that's what I'm hearing." She angrily stepped over to Kanan, her golden eyes flaring. "We haven't even made our first step in trying to save Uranohoshi, and you're _already_ willing to let go of the _one thing_ that's gonna save it?"

"Riko!" Kanan said, raising her voice, making the redhead flinch. "Just listen to me, alright? We're not saying we're disbanding Aqours! We just… need your guys' help in deciding whether or not—"

"That shouldn't even be a decision for _anyone_ to make, much less the two of you!" Riko said, cutting her off, and glaring between Kanan and Dia. "I don't want Aqours to disband! Not even after the three of you graduate! I…" She looked back at the rest of her team members. "I don't wanna lose any of you…" She could feel her throat closing up as tears built up in her eyes. "Aqours… has finally given me a _purpose_ for my piano playing. It's because of this group that I've regained my passion for the piano." Her voice broke. "All the fun times that we've had since I came to Uchiura… I don't want all that to go away because of some… stupid rule."

Pure silence swept among the girls before Dia cleared the air.

"How about this, then?" She suggested. "Until we sort this out… Aqours goes on hiatus."

"What?" Yoshiko demanded.

"Riko-san is obviously against disbandment," Dia pointed out, as Riko nodded. "So, until… until this gets cleared up, we'll take a break." She glanced at Ruby, then quickly looked away, not meeting her sister's eyes. Kanan blew a breath.

"Okay, so who's in favor of that?" She asked, raising her hand slightly. "Anyone who is, raise your hand." One by one, the girls raised their hands. Even Ruby, who knew she couldn't disrespect her sister's wishes, mirrored her friends' actions.

"Then, it's settled," Chika declared. "Aqours will be on hiatus until we clear up what to do."


	11. Her Resolve

Riko sat at the dining table, and ate in silence, until her mother spoke up.

"So… your group is… taking a break?" she asked, as her daughter set her chopsticks down. "In the middle of Love Live?"

"We're still participating," Riko said bluntly. "That's the one thing that I'm sure of."

"Riko…" Her mother admired her daughter's resolve, but something didn't sit right with her. She stood up, and picked up her finished plate. "Make sure you pick up your dishes."

"Un…"

Riko's phone vibrated, and she opened it to see that she received a message from Maki.

 _Can we meet after you're through with classes? I'll be waiting outside the convenience store._

"Maki-san…" She gulped and quickly replied.

 _Yes, we can meet._

* * *

"Ah, Riko-chan!" Chika exclaimed. "Let's head home together!"

"Ah, gomen, Chika-chan… I have to meet with Maki-san right now."

"Eh? Maki-san?"

"Yeah. She heard about our decision to go on hiatus, so…" The redhead let a sigh leave her lips. "Surely, she's gonna try to talk us out of it…" They went over to their shoe lockers, and Riko grabbed her outdoor shoes. "I can't keep her waiting, Chika-chan. I'll see you later; let you know how it goes."

"Sure. See ya 'round!"

As Riko left, Chika received a message from Honoka.

 _Chika-chan. Do you have a minute? I wanna talk to you. Can you meet me at the beach near your school?_

Chika gripped her phone in her hand, and took a deep breath before grabbing her outdoor shoes, and heading to the beach.

* * *

Maki, Nozomi and Eri were waiting outside the convenience store, Maki checking the time on her phone.

"Classes should be over by now, right, Maki?"

The redhead looked over to her right to see Riko, smiling softly before bowing.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Sitting in the shade, still outside the convenience store, Riko glanced between Eri and Nozomi, both of whom gave her their brightest smiles. Maki exited the store and handed the three girls each a bottle of water before placing herself beside Riko.

"I'll be honest. This whole hiatus thing… it's pointless."

"Eh?"

"You girls still have a duty to fulfill!" Eri put in.

"Do you intend to stay put during this hiatus, and just let your Love Live ranking drop?" Nozomi asked softly. Riko gripped her water bottle.

"All of your efforts before and after you became a group of nine, do you _really_ want all that to go to waste, and just let Uranohoshi close down?" Maki insisted. Riko avoided Maki's eyes. Maki crouched down, as their eyes met. "Riko-chan!" Riko flinched. "As your mentors, we _do not_ want to see you fail. You all… want to shine, don't you?" She took Riko's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Right now, this isn't about saving your school. Right now, Riko-chan, this is about keeping that bond with your group. I can see how much they all mean to you."

Letting those words sink in, Riko thought back to what she said to China at Aqours' summer camp.

 _"This is exactly where I wanna be. I've never been happier."_

Thinking back on that had brought a tear to her eye. She felt the damp sensation on her cheek, but didn't wipe it away. Maki smiled softly, and gently wiped her tear, as she sniffled.

"Even if I decided to prepare a song… I wouldn't know where to start. My mind's been blank."

Just then, Nozomi received a message from Nico.

 _We're ready for you here. Chika, Honoka, Kotori and Umi are on their way._

Nozomi nodded to Eri, and the blonde placed a hand on Riko's shoulder.

"We want to help."

"Eh?"

"If you're in that much of a slump." Maki gave a wink. "Let us help you! We can practice at my villa." She squeezed Riko's hands tightly. "What d'you say, Riko-chan?"

* * *

Six members of μ's, and eight members of Aqours were all gathered at the villa.

"Umi-chan, are they on their way?" Honoka asked her friend, as Umi checked her phone for messages. The μ's bluenette smiled after receiving a message from Eri.

"Yes. They're on their way." Honoka squealed, not being able to contain her excitement.

"This is gonna be _so_ fun!"

* * *

Once all eighteen members were gathered up, Eri split everyone into groups of four, with the exception of two people keeping an eye on the progress.

"Mm… alright! Here's how we'll split everyone up!" Eri presented a chart with which members were in charge of what position.

 _Musical Composition: Maki, Riko, Eri, Chika_

 _Choreography: Kanan, Dia, Rin, Honoka_

 _Costume Design: Ruby, Nico, Kotori, You_

 _Lyrics: Umi, Hanamaru, Yoshiko, Nozomi_

 _Monitors: Mari, Hanayo_

"Looks like Mari-san and Hanayo-san are the odd ones out," Dia pointed out as Mari shrugged.

"Mm, this way we could keep some people in line!" she said. "Right, Hanayo-san?"

"Un! Ganbarimashou, Mari-san!" Eri clapped her hands together.

"Alright, now that that's settled! Girls from μ's, let's make sure that we help make this a success for Aqours!"

"Let's huddle up, girls!" Chika said to the rest of her fellow members. They huddled up, and placed their hands on top of one another.

"Wait," You said. She smiled, and formed her hands so that her fingers formed an "L". "Why don't we do this?" She demonstrated, letting her index fingers touch. "If we all put these together… we'll go from zero…" She held up one finger. "… to one!" Chika's eyes gleamed.

"That's a great idea! Alright, one more time!" They all connected their fingers to form a large zero. "From zero to one, let's shine with everything we've got! Aqours!"

"Sa~nshain!"

They lifted their fingers up, and smiled their brightest smiles, the members of μ's looking on at their excitement. Just then, Honoka had an idea.

"Hey…" She held up her fingers, holding a "peace" sign. "For old times' sake, girls? How 'bout it?" Eri smiled softly, chuckling.

"Sure, why not?"

The nine members of μ's held their peace signs together to form a nine-pointed star.

"μ's… myujikku… staato!"

The other members of Aqours couldn't contain their smiles as their idols said their signature call for the first time in five years. Everyone's hearts were one, and they were confident that they would save their school.

They would never forget the efforts of their idols and mentors for as long as they lived.


	12. Shining with μ's

**A/N: Okay! Super sorry for the long wait, everyone! Writer's block hit me super hard, and I wanted to wait until LLSS had finished to go on writing this story, seriously. Now, I'll devote as much time as possible to making this story even better for you guys!**

 **Now, let's get on with the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _"We'll be watching you shine from the stands, Aqours!" Honoka said._

 _"It was an honor to be of help to you girls!" Umi said sincerely._

 _"Go for it, Aqours!" Kotori added._

 _"You'll kill it, nya!"_

 _"You better show the Universal Idol Nico Nii that you're worthy of performing on that stage!"_

 _"Nico, don't put so much pressure on them!" Eri scolded, giving a wink. "I'm sure you'll do great!"_

 _"Erichi's right! The cards say you'll do just fine!" Nozomi added._

 _"You've all worked so hard! Go out there and shine!" Hanayo said, smiling._

 _Maki went up to Riko before embracing her._

 _"You can do this. We believe in you."_

"I honestly still can't believe it…" Ruby said, tying her twin tails in her hair."

"Me, neither, zura."

"The fact that we're even here now…"

"What are you guys talking about all of a sudden?" Yoshiko questioned. "This, this is real. And real is righteous." Ruby and Hanamaru shared a sigh, before hearing Yoshiko say, "Thanks, guys." They turn in their seats, when Yoshiko quickly runs over to hug her friends. "Alright! Now, all that's left is to become school idols, and fall upon the stage!"

"Yeah!"

"You understand the melancholy, zura." Yoshiko pulls away.

"Here we go! The fallen angel, Yohane, and her little demons… descend upon Love Live!"

Inside the venue, Kanan, Mari and Dia were in their own conversation.

"I can't believe this is happening to us now, as third-years," Kanan said softly.

"I know," Dia added, walking up beside her. "It's all thanks to a certain someone being so persistent." Kanan chuckled.

"Got that right. Thanks again, Mari." Mari smiled softly towards her friends.

" _I_ should be the one thanking _you._ After all, it's because of you both that I became a school idol. It's because you waited for me that I'm here today." Kanan and Dia tearfully smiled along with their friend, as Kanan embraced the other two.

"Let's make up for some lost time, girls!"

"Of course!"

Meanwhile, Riko, You and Chika were backstage, reminiscing together.

"It's kinda strange…" Riko sighed. "When I first moved to Uchiura, I never thought that something as big as Love Live would be in store for me." You smiled.

"It's because of Chika-chan!" The orange-haired girl shook her head.

"That's not all, You-chan! It's because of Love Live, and μ's, and school idols… and because of you two! A lot of things are sure to come our way. It won't all be happy. There'll be a lot of difficult things. But, I still want to enjoy it!" She skipped a few steps away from her friends. "I want to be able to enjoy it all, with everyone, and get through it together! That's what it means to shine!" Chika's eyes gleamed as she smiled. Riko and You shared a soft smile to their friend.

"That's right!" Dia said from behind them. Chika turned to see the other six Aqours members.

"There are nine of us, after all," Mari added.

Chika went over to the door entrance towards center stage, and pressed her hand against it.

"It's not just nine…" she whispered to herself. She turned toward her Aqours teammates. "Let's do this!"

 _Hikari ni narou mirai o terashitai_

 _Kagayaki wa kokoro kara afuredasu yo_

 _Yume ga umare yume no tame ni naita toki demo_

 _Akiramenai koto de tsunagatta_

 _Minna minna nayami nagara koko e tadori tsuita ne_

 _Kore kara dayo ima wa mou mayowanai_

 _Akogare dakishimete tsugi e susumu nda_

 _Bokutachi dake no shin sekai ga (kitto aru)_

 _We say "yousoro!"_

 _Fune ga yuku yo mirai e tabidatou_

 _Aoi sora waratteru (nani ga shitai?)_

 _Hikari ni narou mirai o terashitai_

 _Kagayaki wa kokoro kara afuredashite motto saki no keshiki nozomu nda_

Overwhelmed by the spotlight shining down on them, Chika visualized their own radiance, and reached her hand out to try and grasp it. Filled with vigor, she ran to the front of the stage and shouted with all her might.

"Everyone…! Let's all shine!"

She reached her hand out once again, and sang.

 _Hikari ni narou mirai o terashitai_

 _Ima wa mou mayowanai_

 _Fune ga yuku yo mirai e tabidatou_

 _Aoi sora waratteru (nani ga shitai?)_

 _Hikari ni narou mirai o terashitai_

 _Kagayaki wa kokoro kara afuredashite motto saki no keshiki nozomu nda_

 _Ah! Yatto te ni shita mirai chiketto kazashite…!_

It was the end of the Love Live regional qualifiers, and the members of Aqours were very pleased with their performance.

Afterwards, Chika insisted that the girls from μ's take a breather at her family inn!

"Please, Honoka-san! I'll arrange something with my sisters! It won't cost you a dime!"

"I already took You-chan and Kanan up on their offer, Honoka," Maki said, crossing her arms over her chest. "No turning back now." Honoka tapped her chin, thinking.

"Mm… Ah, what the heck! Let's do it!" She turned to the Aqours leader. "Looks like we're in your care, Chika-chan!" Chika squealed.

"Ahh! You won't regret it, I promise!"

"Pardon the intrusion!"

"Welcome!" The girls were greeted by Chika's sisters, Mito and Shima.

"We've prepared a room for the group, so if you'd just follow us inside…"

Out of the corner of her eye, Riko spotted the family dog, Shiitake.

"Heee!" She squealed, and hid behind Maki.

"Riko-chan?"

"What's the matter, Riko-chan?" Riko tightened her grip on Maki's shoulders, visibly shaking. Maki's amethyst eyes peered from the large dog to her junior. "Aww, are you… afraid of this dog?" Maki couldn't help the smile that curved her lips, as Riko buried her face in Maki's shoulder.

"Waah! What a cute doggie, nya!" Rin scurried over to Shiitake, gently petting the dog. "What's his name?"

"Shiitake."

"Eh? Shiitake, as in, like, the mushroom?" Eri questioned. Shiitake barked, and Riko replied with another high-pitched squeal.

"Ma-Ma-Maki-san, he-help me out here, please!" The μ's pianist laughed.

"C'mon, I'll lead the way." Maki held Riko's hand, carefully stepping past Shiitake. "Rin, keep the dog busy, will you?"

"Roger, nya!"

"Chika, lead your guests to the bath, while Mito and I prep the rest of these rooms!"

"Ha~i!"

That night, Dia and Kanan basked in the moonlight together, thinking about the last year.

"It's been a crazy ride, hasn't it?"

"It sure has…"

"Hey… Dia."

"Hm?"

"Are you proud to have been a member of Aqours?" Kanan peered into Dia's eyes. Dia smiled softly.

"Of course. I'm more proud than I've ever been."

"… That's good to hear."


End file.
